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It's official: No NHL Hockey this season.
By Vladinator from the angry dejected fan department, Section News Posted on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:30:56 AM GMT

At 1pm EST today, February 16th, 2005, Gary "Da weasel" Bettman dashed any and all hope of a less than fatal ending for Hockey in North America.

Here's what happened:

The players made major concessions - a 24% roll back in salary (would you be willing to take a pay cut of nearly a quarter of what you make?), and even agreed to a cap as long as it was not linked to league revenue. They offered to have that set at 49 million dollars per team, plus 2.2 million in benefits. This was only 6.5 million dollars more per team than the league's offer.

Over the issue of that 6.5 million dollars, Bettman cancelled the season, confirming that he, and a small group of hardcore owners, don't care about hockey.

Here's what happens next:

The NHL will not recover from this. We will lose teams. We will lose players. The sport will suffer. All hail the mighty dollar, and simpering shitheads like Bettman who don't care how much damage they do to something like the oldest professional sport in North America.

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It's official: No NHL Hockey this season. | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 hidden)

i have nothing to offer to this discussion (none / 0) (#12)
by m0rk on Mon Feb 21, 2005 at 08:00:53 AM GMT

n.t. <- nt

Perfect quote: (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by Beef on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:16:51 PM GMT

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=ratto_ray&id=1992790

The NHL lockout seized the public's imagination only to the extent that a 12-car pileup on the interstate caused by a monkey driving an RV would -- with people whistling in admiration, "Man, that's pretty stupid."

--
Be conservative in what you do. Be liberal in what you accept from others.

Go WHA! (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by Beef on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 06:50:00 PM GMT

Don't you think the NHLPA has a little, teeny, tiny bit of culpability in this disaster?

The NFL has a salary cap. The NFL ties it to revenue. The salary cap helps keep the leauge competitive (do you really think the Green Bay Packers would be able to keep up in salaries otherwise?). The NFL is the poster boy for how to run a league. They are going on 20 years of labor peace. And I don't see any linebackers on food stamps.

If it works for the NFL...

--
Be conservative in what you do. Be liberal in what you accept from others.

In a word? NO. (none / 0) (#5)
by Vladinator on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 06:44:39 AM GMT

Dude, they caved - they agreed to a cap. The owners are fucktards. For a 2bn a year sport, they couldn't bridge the 200mn gap? That's bullshit. Bettman didn't even try to negotiate. Fuck him. Fuck him right in the ear.

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it. - G.W. Bush"
[ Parent ]

personally... (5.00 / 2) (#2)
by MFS on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 09:07:32 PM GMT

I think both sides from the hockey crap showed that they both spent too much time looking at the shit that baseball tries to pull. Honestly, baseball is next - the player's union there is going to fuck their sport, and probably within the next few years.

Clearly, the terrorists have won.

When my fist clenches, crack it open, before I use it and lose my cool...
[ Parent ]

Players and owners (5.00 / 1) (#3)
by Beef on Wed Feb 16, 2005 at 10:09:43 PM GMT

each is simultaneously ass-raping the other, in some sort of oroborous-esque mutual-buggering thing.

I think the owners are more idiotic than the players. The players can get along without the NHL. The owners are totally screwed without the players.

--
Be conservative in what you do. Be liberal in what you accept from others.
[ Parent ]

Yeah, but.... (none / 0) (#11)
by News For Turds on Mon Feb 21, 2005 at 05:47:57 AM GMT

If a player goes to another league and gets injured, his contract with the NHL (multi-millions compared to the 100-300 thousand with the other leage) is null and void.

The players can get along without the NHL, but they can't play the way the do in the NHL or they risk losing it all.

I agree with a previous post. Look to the NFL for suggestions on how to get it resolved.

--
I fucked your mother!
[ Parent ]

If all the teams are bankrupt (none / 0) (#13)
by Beef on Mon Feb 21, 2005 at 08:43:05 PM GMT

there won't be multi-millions to collect, anyway. That's the big picture in all of this. The pie just ain't that big anymore. Owners want $3bn, players want $3bn, league makes $1.5bn. That's some kinda fuckedup math there. All of this stupid expansion into stupid markets has destroyed all hope of profitability.

I have no problem when athletes want to make lots of $$$. But when they want to make so much money that it bankrupts half the league, well that's just asinine. Yes, it's primarily the owners' fault, but the players are also being stupid.

--
Be conservative in what you do. Be liberal in what you accept from others.
[ Parent ]

and some people are astonished (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by MFS on Tue Feb 22, 2005 at 07:18:31 AM GMT

when I hardly watch any "professional" sports...

When my fist clenches, crack it open, before I use it and lose my cool...
[ Parent ]

Exactly. (none / 0) (#6)
by Vladinator on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 06:46:02 AM GMT

And what happens if the players all sign with WHA teams? Bye bye NHL.

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it. - G.W. Bush"
[ Parent ]

bye bye, or hello? (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by MFS on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 10:08:56 AM GMT

perhaps the self-eating syndrome will mutate into something better than what currently stands? I mean, when hockey started getting ripped out of it's long-time homes and moved to the likes of Texas and Florida in the name of the almighty-buck, many hardcore fans immediately questioned what was going on. Well, now we know.

This should be about the love of the sport, not the love of advertising dollars, merchandicing, ticket sales, and arena head-count.

When my fist clenches, crack it open, before I use it and lose my cool...
[ Parent ]

Exactly. (none / 0) (#8)
by Vladinator on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 10:58:41 AM GMT

Which is why I think it might be bye bye NHL, hello WHA.

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it. - G.W. Bush"
[ Parent ]

Yes (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by Beef on Thu Feb 17, 2005 at 02:56:50 PM GMT

That's what I've been hoping for for a long time. I hate the NHL, and want it to die. Perhaps then we'll get:

1. A league with teams in Winnipeg, Quebec, Hamilton, Halifax, and (one can dream) Milwaukee, and WITHOUT teams in Miami, Tampa, Nashville, Phoenix, Charlotte, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, or Hattiesburg, MS.

2. Some FRICKIN' OFFENSE for a change! Scoreless draws are for pussy European soccer fans. I watch hockey to see goals, checking, and fighting, in that order. Fix the game so we get more of the first two, and I'm a happy person. Hockey is not a "finesse sport."

--
Be conservative in what you do. Be liberal in what you accept from others.
[ Parent ]

Why exclude any city? (none / 0) (#10)
by Vladinator on Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 07:35:05 AM GMT

As long as there is an owner who can afford it, I say let any city have a team. If it doesn't fuck up the game, I'm for it. Mind you, that includes thinking it doesn't have to necessasarily help the game either - as long as it doesn't detract from it, I think anyone should be allowed to play.

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it. - G.W. Bush"
[ Parent ]

It's official: No NHL Hockey this season. | 14 comments (14 topical, 0 hidden)

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